ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cap · club · board · stand · content · fork · calf · staff

  1. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. club — for dancing
  4. board — to get on
  5. staff — employees
  6. club — for golf
  7. fork — in a road
  8. cap — a lid
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. staff — a stick
  15. club — a group
  16. cap — a hat
  17. board — a committee
  18. content — the amount
  19. content — happy
  20. cap — of ice
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. stand — to bear
  24. content — videos and posts

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com